Politician · person

Xi Jinping on Joe Biden

Pragmatic counterpart (strong)

TL;DR

Xi Jinping views the U.S. President as a necessary counterpart for managing high-stakes bilateral ties and cooperation while firmly guarding China's core interests.

Key Points

  • He explicitly stated that the Thucydides's Trap is not inevitable and that containing China is "unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail" as of November 2024.

  • He urged the U.S. President to translate commitments into concrete actions regarding not supporting “Taiwan independence” during a call on April 2, 2024.

  • He noted that over the past four years, China-U.S. relations experienced ups and downs but remained stable overall under their stewardship as of November 2024.

Summary

Xi Jinping views President Joe Biden as a critical counterpart whose stewardship is essential for navigating the turbulent China-U.S. relationship, emphasizing that the relationship has remained largely stable through periods of fluctuation due to mutual effort. He advocates for a relationship guided by principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, asserting that major-country competition should not be the era's logic. In meetings, he has presented the two nations with explicit frameworks, like the seven experiences from past interactions, to ensure the relationship advances on a sound, stable, and sustainable trajectory.

However, Xi Jinping simultaneously stresses that this engagement is strictly conditioned on the U.S. not challenging China's core interests and red lines, particularly regarding Taiwan, development rights, and sovereignty. He has directly warned that actions like suppressing technological development or supporting "Taiwan independence" are unacceptable and undermine trust, equating such moves with seeking conflict. Therefore, his position is one of pragmatic engagement for global stability and mutual benefit, coupled with unwavering insistence on the inviolability of China's fundamental national security and development interests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Xi Jinping's goal is to ensure a stable, healthy, and sustainable China-U.S. relationship, which he believes is critical for the future of both peoples and the world. He seeks to manage differences while expanding cooperation in areas of shared interest.

He has clearly stated that the one-China principle and the three U.S.-China joint communiqués form the political foundation that must be observed. The four red lines include challenging Taiwan's status, China's path and system, democracy and human rights, and China's right to development.

His fundamental principles—mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation—remain unchanged, but his tactical emphasis has shifted based on recent interactions. He seeks to build upon understandings to stabilize the relationship while remaining firm on core issues.

Sources6

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.